"Huh. I guess it could be a career." That had somehow not really occurred to him. He knew it factually, obviously, but the thought of that being an option for someone? Just weird. "Good for you." Ed leaned back on the bench, one arm loosely around himself, his hands warming up already. It was cold out there, admittedly.
"You are less stupid than most people. You can do better than footballer." What kind of pathetic career was that anyway? "What do you wanna do?"
He was charming. It was fascinating to see how the woman had reacted before.
"Oh, I'm hoping to go to law school. I'm already going over some of the entrance exam stuff. I know it's early but the sooner I learn it, the better." Harvey was an optimist, he felt like as long as he tried hard from now onward, he could make his dream a reality. The waitress came over and Harvey ordered a coffee, gesturing at Edward.
"Get whatever you want, you're technically my hero. I owe you a good breakfast." Otherwise he'd still be sleeping in the middle if a pier.
Ed ordered waffles with strawberries, but he also ordered iced tea. That was the real treat here, it was rare he bothered splurging on something other than water. But, hey, Harvey acted as if he could afford it. A lawyer, huh? He assumed the abundance of charm would be helpful with that.
"Good luck with that. You are class president and all that, I'm sure they'll take you." He did know that Harvey wasn't stupid. Kind of annoying, actually. Tall, handsome, charming and not an idiot? "You are pretty lucky."
"Other than the alien abductions, right? Cause those are a pain. You know, one day you're fine, the next day you're waking up on a pier. Very inconsistent." Harvey paid for their food ahead of time and tipped as much as he could, saving his change for two possible calls. Worst came to worst, he'd just walk home. "Mind if we keep that a little secret between us, Ed? I mean, it's not that embarrassing that I sleepwalk but I don't like people knowing my business. I'm a private guy."
And the idea of people knowing and wanting to help or get involved? It made him feel very uncomfortable. He didn't mind the episodes as long as it only involved him.
"What would I have left of this secret once I shared it?" Edward shrugged, smiling a little bit. He did love secrets. "I won't tell anyone. Don't worry. I keep a lot of things to myself."
He could be correcting their teachers on so much more, for one thing. "Maybe you sleepwalk. You could use technology to help with that. Trackers. Alarms triggered by lack of proximity to the transmitter. A lot of options."
"It's possible but ... I don't know, it's weird." If he was sleepwalking, actually sleep walking, why did he sometimes wake up having apparently had conversations, done things and driven cars? It seemed very unrealistic. He wasn't sure why it bugged him so much but there was something about it that didn't add up. As far as he knew. "Do people who sleepwalk have like... any awareness? Do they talk to people or do things or is it like being asleep?"
Cause he wasn't sure and this was his first ever sounding board for these issues.
"They can talk to people and do things to some degree, but they'd not be aware and it's unlikely that it wouldn't be noticed." Huh. This was getting more and more intriguing. "Hypnosis can have effects like that. There's some other scenarios. I could do research into it."
And he definitely would, because now he needed to know. "You are sure you remember nothing at all?" Sounded like a blackout, amnesia, something along those lines. "Do you take drugs?"
"God, no. If I did, it'd show up in the drug tests we do. Part of being on the team and all, lots of boys want scholarships." Even in middle school, it was competitive as hell and every year, they had to test. Harvey didn't even take meds that he was supposed to take, he was very hype on that. "I don't do drugs, I just sort of ... I stop and then I start again. That's why for years, I assumed aliens."
When he was younger and more prone to imagination and fantasy. "Now I figure that aliens have better things to do than visit this planet, let alone take a kid like me. So I guess I'm just weird."
"M-hm. Well, there are a lot of explanations for something like that, but I'm no expert." Obviously. He was a kid. A kid with big glasses and clothes too big on him who likely seemed ridiculous talking as if he could be an expert on anything, but that hardly stopped Edward. "If you give me time to do the research and you provide me with all the necessary date, I can likely figure it out."
"Woah, seriously? You totally earned your waffles. If you're up for helping me out working all this stuff out, I'll totally treat you to something better next time." He was already thinking of stuff he could take Edward to eat, like that one great Italian place. The woman came over and set down their food, Harvey getting some extras for being such a sweet boy.
"Do you need to use the phone? You look a bit loss, sweetie."
"I'm okay, I'm with my friend. I'm gonna use the payphone but thank you so much." Harvey smiled at the woman and then turned back to Edward, still smiling. "She's so nice."
"Feel as if a lot of people would be nice to you." So was that it? A charming smile, floppy blond hair and this woman - he knew what a grumpy hag she could be - was all honey and sugar? Fascinating.
Edward took note and started eating his waffle. Friend? Right. He assumed Harvey wouldn't bother acknowledging him again, unless he actually felt he could be of help to him. "It's an interesting way of life. Do you ever wonder what it'd be like if you were less handsome?"
"I think a smile is more important but I don't know, I guess? I'm very privileged, I know that. I'm white, I'm strong and girls like me. I have an advantage. I think I'd be less likely if I came in and was rude though so I don't think it's all in looks." He felt as if it was more important to be a good person. That was why Harvey tried to focus that above everything else.
"Smile and hopefully, people smile back." And then he smiled at Ed, big and wide and hoping for one back.
"...when I smile, I tend to get punched." Something about him having a face that invited getting hit, if his father's logic was to be believed. Which Edward would like to deny, but he certainly hadn't been proven differently so far. Honestly, he was just hoping he'd grow into his teeth one day, as far as his smile was concerned. "And that is unsettling. Feels like you're setting me up for the punch."
There was just too much smiling going on. He stubbornly did not smile. Ha!
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icebergloungers2021-01-31 12:59 pm
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"You are less stupid than most people. You can do better than footballer." What kind of pathetic career was that anyway? "What do you wanna do?"
He was charming. It was fascinating to see how the woman had reacted before.
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"Get whatever you want, you're technically my hero. I owe you a good breakfast." Otherwise he'd still be sleeping in the middle if a pier.
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"Good luck with that. You are class president and all that, I'm sure they'll take you." He did know that Harvey wasn't stupid. Kind of annoying, actually. Tall, handsome, charming and not an idiot? "You are pretty lucky."
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And the idea of people knowing and wanting to help or get involved? It made him feel very uncomfortable. He didn't mind the episodes as long as it only involved him.
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He could be correcting their teachers on so much more, for one thing. "Maybe you sleepwalk. You could use technology to help with that. Trackers. Alarms triggered by lack of proximity to the transmitter. A lot of options."
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Cause he wasn't sure and this was his first ever sounding board for these issues.
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And he definitely would, because now he needed to know. "You are sure you remember nothing at all?" Sounded like a blackout, amnesia, something along those lines. "Do you take drugs?"
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When he was younger and more prone to imagination and fantasy. "Now I figure that aliens have better things to do than visit this planet, let alone take a kid like me. So I guess I'm just weird."
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"Do you need to use the phone? You look a bit loss, sweetie."
"I'm okay, I'm with my friend. I'm gonna use the payphone but thank you so much." Harvey smiled at the woman and then turned back to Edward, still smiling. "She's so nice."
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Edward took note and started eating his waffle. Friend? Right. He assumed Harvey wouldn't bother acknowledging him again, unless he actually felt he could be of help to him. "It's an interesting way of life. Do you ever wonder what it'd be like if you were less handsome?"
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"Smile and hopefully, people smile back." And then he smiled at Ed, big and wide and hoping for one back.
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There was just too much smiling going on. He stubbornly did not smile. Ha!